Zorro needs a break
by katie1999
Summary: NWZ When Zorro plans to go on a holiday, an interesting week lies ahead that will change his live forever. This story is more about romance and humor and not about fighting. Have fun!
1. Chapter 1

**Zorro needs a break**

Disclaimer: This story was written solely for the enjoyment of other Zorro fans and is not intended to infringe on any copyrights held by Goodman/Rosen Productions, New World Television, Zorro Productions, the estate of Johnston McCulley or anyone else.

_Author's note: _

_After reading so many stories with Diego injured or killed I felt the need for some fun and a happy ending. This is more about romance and humor than about fighting. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Have fun._

Chapter 1 - Friday

The fight with his father this morning had been more serious than usual. Don Alejandro had wanted Diego to join him in his protest against the newest taxes and the flogging of some peasants. For once Alejandro had not accepted Diego's excuses and Diego could only refuse to accompany him straight away. The disappointment of his father had been more obvious than ever but he could do nothing else if he wanted to sneak away secretly and stop the alcalde as Zorro. Diego felt hurt by his father's remarks and they had hardly spoken with each other for the rest of the day.

Like the evenings before he paid a late visit to Victoria shortly after she closed the tavern. Recently it had become more and more difficult for him to stay away from her. He longed to hold her in his arms and kiss her. It frustrated him that he cold only hold her when he was wearing his mask and that she had a low opinion of Diego. How could he ever win her as Diego when she was in love with a legend?

"Zorro, you have come," Victoria said happily and rushed into his arms. They kissed passionately and his hands moved over her body touching and caressing her bare skin where it was not covered by her blouse or her skirt. Victoria hand opened his black shirt to feel his hot skin underneath.

Finally Zorro managed to break apart.

"Victoria, we have to stop it. You know where it would end otherwise. We can't do that if we're not married. I hold you in too high regard to treat you like that. I don't want to disgrace you."

"Zorro, please I don't want you to stop. We are already waiting so long." She tried to kiss him again, but he held her at arm's length.

"No, Victoria. There is nothing I would love to do more at this moment, but it wouldn't be right and you know it. Please stop tempting me."

"Then how much longer do you want to wait until you fulfill your promise? I don't know how much longer I can stand this waiting," she said angrily.

"I don't want to wait anymore either, but I don't know how to get out of the situation," he retorted, showing his own frustration for the first time.

"I can't marry you as Zorro, because that would make you the perfect bait for me if you get pregnant and I'd soon be hanged. If I marry you as myself, the alcalde would suspect me being Zorro with the same result of getting myself hanged. Besides, you wouldn't marry me if you knew the man behind the mask."

"You said the same thing when you asked me to marry you, but I told you then as I tell you now, the man can never be less to me. How can you believe otherwise? Just give me a chance and show me your face."

"I know what you think of me when I'm not wearing the mask. Without the mask you completely ignore me and I can only hold in my arms if I put on these clothes. I just can't stand it anymore."

"Is it true then that I see you during the day without your mask? That you come to my tavern and I don't recognize you? That can't be. For example your voice. I would definitely recognize your voice."

"No, you wouldn't recognize my voice. Do you think I could hide from you for such a long time making it so easy for you? I'm wearing a different mask that is not as visible as this black piece of cloth."

"You pretend to be someone else when you are not Zorro and you even change your voice? How can you stand that and who is the real you?" Victoria was shocked by his revelations.

"Sometimes I don't know myself anymore with all this acting and pretending, but the real me is more like Zorro than the man I pretend to be without the mask. I'm not sure I can stand this masquerade any longer and somehow I don't want to."

He started pacing the kitchen like a caged tiger, looking for an escape. Victoria watched him stunned.

"I need a break from all that. I need to be myself again for some time."

"What do you want to do?" she asked, anxiously.

"I have to leave Los Angeles for some time and go somewhere else where nobody knows me as Zorro or as..." He stopped his sentence short, before revealing his true name. "I think I know exactly where to go."

For the first time a smile appeared on his face again. He thought of the letter from France he had gotten today. It was a letter from the descendants of the three musketeers he had met during his visit to France two years ago. It included an invitation to the wedding of Athos and Simone, the lovely girl, the three musketeers had instantly fallen in love with. Yes, going back to France would be just what he needed now, he thought to himself.

"You are going to leave Los Angeles? For how long and when will you return? And what about us? Are you just going to leave me? Maybe forever?"

"Victoria, I don't know what to do about us. If I thought that you would love me as myself and not only the legend, I would ask you to come with me on the trip, but I think you never will." He sounded sad.

"Please Zorro, you can't give up after all these years. I think, you owe me a chance getting to know you. I want to meet the man you really are and not the one you pretend to be. Maybe I haven't looked hard enough for you in the recent years, but with all that you told me I'm sure I will recognize you now. Our meetings were always so fleeting that I never had the chance to talk to you. This was the longest talk we had, except for the day you asked me to marry you."

"Forgive me, Victoria, I think you are right. It is not your fault that you never recognized me, because I did everything I could to keep you from discovering me."

He drew her in his arms again and looked her in the eyes. "Victoria, I don't want to lose you. Would you like to travel with me?"

He whispered in her ear. "Will you marry me and join me on my trip as my wife? I will have to leave in a week from now. If you really think you can love me, I will talk to Padre Benitez and arrange our wedding for the night before we leave."

"Marry you in a week and leave Los Angeles?" She looked at him, surprised at his sudden change of heart. "Zorro, I want to marry you. You must not doubt my love for you. I promised to marry the man and not the legend. But for how long will we leave? Will we ever return? What shall I do with my tavern?"

"We will return in a few months. I want our children to grow up here in Los Angeles. And your tavern? Find someone to manage it for the time we are away. When we are back, you can decide what you want to do with it. Keep it or sale it, whatever makes you happy is fine with me," he wiped away her concerns.

"I know I'm asking a lot of you. But do you understand that I need to go? You don't need to decide tonight. If you don't show up for our wedding or are disappointed with my identity, I will understand and not bother you any more. Without you, there will be no Zorro."

"Zorro what can I do to make you believe in my love? Find the man behind the mask after all this years? Is that what you want?"

He didn't answer, but in his eyes she could see his need to be accepted without the mask.

She caressed his cheek with her hand and kissed him tenderly. "I will find you, be sure of that. I will not disappoint you. I only never knew how far you would go to hide yourself." Then she started to cry.

"Shh, Victoria, don't cry for me. It was my choice to become Zorro and it was you who kept me going on. I'll do anything to keep you safe and it is too dangerous for you to know me, but if Zorro is gone, it won't matter anymore. That's why I can tell you before we leave, unless you find out earlier. You are as smart as beautiful and I think I have told you already too much." His grin that was so typical for Zorro had returned and he kissed her tears away.

Victoria was relieved that his mood had lifted and he was no longer as depressed as before. She wrapped her arms around his neck and they kissed again for some time. She didn't want him to go, because she knew how close she had come to losing him.

After he let go of her, he started pacing again, obviously planning and thinking again.

"I think it will be a good idea if you tell everybody that Zorro broke up with you and has already left the area. This way nobody will connect our departure to his. You could tell that you want to visit your brother in Mexico City to seek his comfort after your breakup with Zorro. Can you do that?"

"I can do anything that is necessary for us to be together. Are we going to Mexico City?"

"No, we won't, but it will cover up our absence. I hope you won't mind a long journey and a lot of traveling. I think you will like it."

"Where else are we going? When will you tell me?"

"I'll keep it as a surprise. Think of it as an extended honeymoon." He smiled again. "I have to go now. Otherwise we'll end up again where we started."

After a quick kiss on her cheek he turned around, climbed up to the balcony and left through the window.

"Sometimes you can be so annoying, Zorro," Victoria called after him, but he was already gone and never heard her.

Z Z Z

During the night neither of them slept much. The sudden decision to get married and to leave Los Angeles had been made in the spur of the moment and now they had to think of the consequences. Diego felt that it was the right decision and he looked forward to some time where he could be his whole self again and have Victoria by his side. He worried that she would be disappointed to discover Diego behind the mask and leave him standing at the altar. It would be his greatest nightmare come true and really didn't want to think about it in greater detail. But he had to make plans to make sure that nobody related Diego's vacation to Zorro's absence.

Victoria could spread the news that Zorro had already left town for good and it would give her an excuse to appear heart stricken and transfer her affection from Zorro to Diego during her absence. For a moment he had thought of asking Felipe to make an appearance as Zorro while he was away, but Felipe would never be able to fight the lancers if it came to close battle and Diego didn't want to put him in jeopardy.

After the fight with his father the morning before an extended leave wouldn't be a problem with his father and give both the opportunity to calm down a bit. His father would be very pleased if he returned from his trip with Victoria as his wife.

Victoria lay sleepless in her bed repeating the talk with Zorro in her head over and over. What he had told her still kept her in shock. She couldn't believe the pains he went through to keep his identity hidden. How could he go that far to even change his voice in public and keep up with it for years? Only imagining it made her cry. All the time she had looked for someone remotely like Zorro - tall, blue eyes, athletic figure, impressive personality, master swordsman. But the revelations of the evening showed her that except for physical attributes her assumptions about the man without the mask had been wrong. How could he hide from her if he was a customer of her tavern and who was he? Would she be able to discover him the next week and persuade him that she loved the man and not the legend?


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 - Saturday

The next day Diego was up early. Alejandro was surprised to meet his son for breakfast.

"Father, I got an invitation for a wedding from some friends in Mexico City. I will take the coach to Mexico City in two weeks."

"Mexico City, that is quite a trip for a wedding. You will be gone for months. Instead of supporting me against the alcalde, you prefer to traipsing the country to visit some friend's wedding. Shouldn't you be rather thinking of your own wedding?"

When Diego didn't comment and only made a grim face, Alejandro only waved his hand angrily.

"Very well, son, just do as you please."

Z Z Z

Diego didn't see his father again until the afternoon when his father met him in the library.

"Diego, have you heard the news? "

"What news?"

"Zorro has left the area. I just came from the tavern."

"Zorro has left? Was he in town today? And what about Victoria?"

"No, he wasn't in town. Victoria told me the news during lunch. Zorro has left her as well. He told her that he could never marry her. She is pretty upset as you can imagine and has already started packing, because she wants to leave for Mexico next Friday to visit her brother Ramon because she can't stand it here without Zorro."

"Maybe I'll meet her in Mexico City while I'm there for my friend's wedding."

"Then the two of you can travel together, Diego."

"I'm leaving in two weeks and not this Friday."

"Diego, then you should change your travel plans to accompany Victoria. I don't think you should let her travel alone when you are going in the same direction anyway."

"Father, I won't obtrude myself on Victoria now and you should think about the gossip if we were to travel together."

"Nonsense, Diego, when you were traveling together to Santa Paula to meet the emissary, there wasn't any gossip either. Everybody knows you're like a brother to her. It is not safe for a woman to travel alone and she needs our support now."

"I will talk to Victoria and ask her what she wants."

Diego was smiling to himself while he was riding to town. His father urging him to accompany Victoria was exactly what he had hoped for. He would strive some more as well as Victoria would for who these travel plans were simply an excuse to leave town with Zorro. In the end the whole town would expect them to travel together.

Victoria didn't look very happy when he saw her standing behind the bar in the tavern. He was concerned because she had obviously been crying and looked tired as well.

"Hola, Victoria," he greeted her. "I heard the news. Is there something I can do for you?"

"No, Diego, thanks for asking, but I'm alright."

Diego longed to take Victoria in his arms, but he couldn't do it as Diego. He couldn't even do it as Zorro anymore, because Zorro was supposed to be out-of-town and couldn't be seen. And if she turned the man behind the mask down at the wedding there would be nothing left. The thought frustrated him and he sat down his glass louder than intended.

"Something wrong, Diego?" Victoria was surprised by his display of temper.

"No, I just remembered something I have to take care of, please excuse me."

Angry at himself for his rather rough tone with Victoria he left the tavern and went to the mission in search of Padre Benitez. He was well enough friends with the padre that his visit wouldn't arouse any suspicion.

While he was waiting for the padre to be free of his surrounding flock, Diego pondered how to approach the topic.

If he wanted to arrange the wedding, he had to tell the padre his secret identity. If he married as Zorro he just had to remove his mask for the time of the wedding and sign the register. But now he had to explain the padre why peace loving Diego de la Vega wanted a secret wedding to Victoria Escalante, the love of Zorro.

In the end the talk proved easier than he expected. The padre was more alert than Diego had suspected. Combining the hints, he had gotten both from Diego and Zorro over the years, he was aware of his identity. The padre was pleased that the couple was finally going to marry, but he didn't approve of the secrecy. He urged Diego to tell his father who in the padre's opinion had a right to know, but Diego refused, pointing out the danger for his father.

Knowing he couldn't change Diego's mind, the padre agreed to perform the ceremony secretly on Thursday night at seven.

Diego was relieved to have accomplished this important task of his plans. Now he needed to inform Victoria of the date without arousing suspicion and he cursed himself again for his idea that Zorro had left. Slipping a note in Victoria's chamber was impossible as he couldn't climb the roofs neither as Diego nor as Zorro these days.

He managed to slip the note into Victoria's pocket while he distracted her with one of his magic tricks of pulling a coin out of thin air.

He also brought up the topic of traveling together, and as expected Victoria objected as much as he did, talking loud enough for everyone in the tavern to overhear their conversation.

Z Z Z

When Victoria closed the tavern she was worried. The day hadn't gotten her closer to her aim of discovering Zorro. He had been in the tavern today – the note in her pocket made clear of that. When had he been this close to her? Why hadn't she seen him? As promised he had arranged the wedding though it said only, "Thursday at seven".

And what should she do about Diego, traveling to Mexico as well? How could she slip away when he traveled with her? He would try to seek her out in Mexico and then her cover was blown.

Should she take him in his confidence? The whole thing was getting more complicated than expected. She would have like to discuss it with Zorro, but she didn't know how to reach him and he wouldn't visit her either as Zorro.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 - Sunday

The next day Diego couldn't stand it anymore. He wanted to talk with Victoria and hold her in his arms. Victoria had been quite nervous when he visited the tavern, snapping at her customers, eying them at the same time for a hint of Zorro. She had tried to dissuade him from traveling together, but she couldn't find a way to get out of the travel arrangements everybody seemed to find proper. He could see that she was getting desperate and he wanted to put her mind at ease.

In the evening he waited until the tavern was empty. While Victoria went to the front door to secure it for the night, he slipped into the kitchen and turned out the lights. In the darkness he waited for her to return to the kitchen.

When she entered the kitchen she was surprised by the dark room. He slipped behind her and put his hand over her eyes. "Don't open your eyes!" he whispered.

"Zorro, what are you doing here," she exclaimed. She wanted to turn around, but he put an arm around her from behind and held her close.

"Shh, promise to keep your eyes shut?"

"Why? And why did you turn out the lights?"

When he didn't answer and kept his hand over her eyes, she relented. "Fine, I promise if you take your hand away and tell me the reason for this."

He turned her around and embraced her in the darkness.

"I just came here to see you. Since Zorro is supposed to be gone, I can't come as Zorro anymore. It was a stupid idea to say that he has left," he said, angry about himself.

Victoria kept her eyes closed as promised, but that didn't keep her hands from touching him. Instead of the silk she was used to, she felt the ruffles of a caballero shirt.

"You are here without your mask, now I understand, with that shirt you must be a caballero." With her hands she tried to reach further and touch his uncovered face but he covered her hands with his and pinned them to his chest while he distracted her with a kiss.

"I must be crazy to come here," he murmured. "Coming here without my mask is even more dangerous than with it. If someone finds us here together, he will instantly know who Zorro is and I have no mask to hide behind nor any weapons to defend myself with. But I couldn't stay away from you, I wanted to talk to you."

"I need to talk to you as well. Don Diego will take the same coach to Mexico as I. What shall I do? How can I travel somewhere else without Don Diego discovering us?"

"Don't worry. Don Diego won't be a problem. Everything is fine as long as nobody thinks you're running away with Zorro. Just trust me. You got my message?"

"Yes. How did you manage to slip it in my pocket? You must have stood right beside me and I didn't see you. Why do you keep up this masquerade anyway? We're going to be married in four days and you still won't let me see your face. You expect a lot of me when you are asking me to trust you, expecting me to marry a man whose name I don't know and trust you with travel plans you won't reveal to me. Don't you think I have a right to know before the wedding?"

"Victoria, you know why. We have been through it often enough. I want to keep you safe as long as possible. I don't want anything to happen to you. We have waited so long. It will be only a few more days until you know everything and maybe you don't want to marry me if you know my name."

"That won't happen, Zorro. That the one thing you have to trust in me."

"I'll try, but just let me hold you for now." He kissed her lips and held her in tight embrace, his cautions forgotten. Victoria clung her arms around his neck tracing the embroidery of his jacket with her fingertips to give her a hint of his identity. Then he drew apart listening to some noises from the street.

"We must not be seen together. I have to go and you can open your eyes again." He slipped away and vanished in the dark.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 - Monday

In the evening it happened. Diego had stayed close to Victoria to keep an eye on her, now that Zorro was officially gone. Diego was on his way from The Guardian office where he had spent most of the day to prepare everything for the time of his absence. It was already late and Victoria was about to close the tavern when the two men burst into the tavern. Before she could react, one of the men grabbed her arms and fixed them at her back. When Victoria started to scream, the other man slapped her in the face. Then he ripped her shirt open to her waist with both hands.

"Now we are going to have some fun with Zorro's woman. Or have you been telling lies to the alcalde about Zorro being gone?" He laughed.

At that moment Diego who had heard the comments rushed in through the curtains from the kitchen. The very moment he grasped the situation he changed before her eyes. In his left hand he held a pan he had snatched from the kitchen wall and his right hand was clenched to a fist. "How dare you touch her, take your hands off her immediately," he growled.

One of the men fired a pistol at him, but in a floating movement he held the pan in front of him and deflected the bullet. A move she wouldn't have thought possible if she hadn't seen Zorro do it before and Zorro's unmistakable voice made it perfectly clear for Victoria who he really was.

Before any of the men could do anything else, he knocked down the man behind Victoria with the pan and punched the other senseless with his right fist. The fight was over in seconds.

"Did they hurt you?" he asked, looking shocked at her open front and her cheek that was burning from the hit. Victoria was shaking visibly from shock, tears running down her face. The attack and the sudden discovery of Zorro's identity were too much for her. She would have collapsed had Diego not supported her with his arm around her shoulders.

At that moment Sergeant Mendoza and the alcalde came into the tavern alarmed by Victoria's earlier cry.

"What has happened here?" the alcalde demanded to know.

"Victoria was attacked by these men," Diego said, angrily.

"With the help of the señorita," he pointed at the pan, lying at the floor beside the still unconscious men, "I was able to defeat them," he lied, sticking to his reputation as useless Diego.

By the look in the in Victoria's eyes he could see that she knew he was Zorro. He held her in firm embrace close to his chest thus shielding her torn blouse from the view of the alcalde and Mendoza. Victoria felt him tremble slightly from barely controlled anger. Not even as Zorro had she seen him that angrily.

"The señorita can be a formidable opponent," Mendoza grinned. "But she was still lucky you were around, Don Diego. Are you alright, Senorita?"

"Sometimes even you can be useful in a fight," smirked the alcalde. "Mendoza, take these men and put them in jail."

"I really hope you had nothing to do with it and it wasn't any plan of yours, trying to capture Zorro again."

"Ah, the docile de la Vega showing some teeth," the alcalde said. "Zorro is gone for good as we all know by now. Otherwise he would have come for the rescue of the señorita."

"I wouldn't be so sure that Zorro is gone forever. He may still return, unpredictable as he is."

"That is true, alcalde," Mendoza agreed. "Zorro is really unpredictable. With him you'll never know."

"I'm sure, Zorro would come back, if something serious happened to the señorita or my father," Diego said. "Zorro has a way of knowing things. Zorro has never killed anybody before but in that case I'm sure he would make an exception for you."

"Well, I don't envy your position alcalde," Diego continued. "With Zorro gone, you have no chance to get promoted for capturing Zorro. You may never get the chance to return to your beloved Madrid. After shooting emissary Risendo your standing with the king isn't good anyway and with the new emissary.."

"What new emissary?" the alcalde interrupted him.

"Didn't my father tell you?" Diego feigned surprise. "After several letters from my father, the king has finally decided to send another emissary to inquire about the situation here in Los Angeles. He may already be on his way here. If he finds out that you are abusing your position to suppress your people or using your citizen as a bait for an outlaw who is no longer around, your chances to be brought back in chains to Madrid are quite high. It seems you are really stuck. On the one hand you have to face the wrath of Zorro and on the other hand trial and execution from the king's emissary."

The alcalde looked appalled by Diego's statements.

"If you want my advice, alcalde, I recommend you change your way of treating the people. Only if you can persuade the emissary what a good alcalde you are, you may be able to clean up your file and keep Zorro from returning. It might get you back in the king's good graces."

"Thank you, Don Diego for pointing out my situation, I hadn't realized that," the alcalde was still stunned. "I'll think about it."

Without further comment he turned around and headed for the door after the Mendoza.

"I'd start right away," Diego called after him. "You'll never know when the new emissary will arrive."

Finally alone Diego had time to take care of Victoria. He took the still shaking Victoria up in his arms and carried her to her room. He sat her on the bed and changed her shirt with the nightshirt from her bed. He knew it wasn't proper, but her helpers were already gone. It shocked him to see her so hurt. The men hadn't inflicted much real pain, but the shock from the assault ran deep. Victoria hadn't uttered a single word since he had entered the tavern and only looked at him with wide eyes.

"Diego," she said in a low voice, the tears streaming down her face, "please make love to me tonight, before someone else..."

"Victoria, it is over. Nobody will hurt you. I promise I will do everything to keep you safe. This is not the right time when you are hurt like that. I want it to be a happy time for you with a husband and a bed of roses. It is only a few more days until we are married," he said, for the first time acknowledging his hidden identity.

"It's the time for love, not for passion," he said, taking her in his arms, kissing her tears away. Under his kisses and his tender care she started to relax and fell asleep in his arms. He slipped from her arms and went downstairs to look for the tavern. He locked all the doors and finished the chores Victoria normally did every night. Then he returned to Victoria, laying down beside her, keeping the covers between them. Twice during the night she woke up from a nightmare and he comforted her in his embrace.

Z Z Z

When Victoria awoke next, it was still before dawn. It took her a moment to grasp the situation when she felt an arm lying heavily across her waist. Then she remembered what had happened the night before. Diego was Zorro! He had saved her from the bandits and now he was lying next to her in her bed, guarding her in his sleep.

"Victoria, is everything alright?" Diego woke up when he felt her move.

She realized that he must be a man who was instantly awake in the morning.

"Diego, I just remembered, are you.., are you really Zorro?" she asked.

"Yes, I am. Are you disappointed it is only me?"

"No. I am relieved it is you. "

"Relieved?" he asked, incredulously.

"I have had nightmares of some unknown stranger with an empty face, telling me I could never love him. And now it is you. Someone I trust and love. I think I have loved you all the time without ever admitting it to myself." She smiled. "Show me that you are Zorro."

She leaned over him and kissed him. He did by returning her kisses until he had to stop her.

"Victoria, I should go now. We agreed to wait until Friday and if I don't go now, I won't be able to leave at all."

"You decided to wait. I didn't."

"Victoria. Please, don't make it any harder for me to leave."

He gave her a quick kiss before jumping from the bed.

"It is still early enough to return to the hacienda unnoticed. Do you want to join me for breakfast at the hacienda? If we hurry you could slip into one of the guest rooms before someone wakes up."

"What is in for me?"

"Breakfast, kisses, talk - in any order you like."

"Oh, you will do a lot of talking and explaining, Diego, be sure of that," she said in dedicated voice. "I like the prospect of kissing and talking, but I don't want to rush now. My helpers will arrive soon and I want to be here to open the tavern for them. I will come later to the hacienda if you don't mind."

"I do mind because I'd rather have you by my side. But I should be gone before your helpers arrive. I'll take the window so you can keep the doors closed. I'll wait for you at the hacienda."

He had already put on his boots and with a quick wave of goodbye he was gone.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 - Tuesday

It was time for dinner and Alejandro went in search for his son and Victoria. After the assault last night, Victoria was still recovering from shock and had spent the day at the hacienda. Diego had invited her to the hacienda and Victoria had agreed to stay during the nights until her departure where she would be safe from further attacks.

When he didn't find them in the hacienda, he looked outside and he heard his son's laughter coming from the secluded spot in the garden that was reserved for the family. Alejandro was surprised, he couldn't remember when he heard his son laugh the last time. Now that he thought about it, his son never laughed. He smiled, yes, but wholehearted laughter – no, he hadn't heard that from his son in the years since he came home from Spain. He was always so serious as if he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Just before Alejandro rounded the corner, he stopped short as he became aware of the conversation.

"Will you stay in one of the guest rooms tonight, Victoria?" he heard Diego say, sounding somehow different.

"I'd rather stay in your arms as last night."

Alejandro was shocked.

_His son had spent the night with Victoria_. _Didn't he raise him better?_

He was just about to give his son a lecture when the couple continued.

"It is only two more nights, Victoria. You know I can't stand it any more as much as you do. But, we should try to keep the padre happy. He wasn't pleased when I asked him last week to prepare for the wedding on such a short notice. But as we have been engaged for months, he was understanding."

_His son was planning a secret wedding on Thursday? He was engaged to Victoria for months? Why didn't he know anything about it? Why the secrecy? But why was Victoria engaged to Diego when she was in love with Zorro?_

Alejandro had thought that he knew his son well, but now he had to find out that he didn't know him at all. He glanced around the corner and saw Diego and Victoria standing close together. Or strictly speaking, he saw a man with his son's face. The man, standing in a close embrace with Victoria, was totally different from the Diego he knew. He had the bearing and the stance of a very self-confident man, talking with open wide gestures. Even his voice was different, much deeper than the one he was used from Diego.

Alejandro couldn't believe it. Comparing the man at Victoria's side with the Diego he knew, it was easy to grasp who the real man was and who the act. The Diego he had met and who had lived under his roof for the last five years was simply an act, a shadow of the real person. Alejandro had seen and spoken the other man before, but then he had been clad in black wearing a black mask.

_Diego was Zorro!_

The revelation hit him hard.

Tears sprang unbidden to his eyes. Tears of shame for treating his son so badly over the years, and tears of sorrow for the lost years in which he only had gotten a glimpse of his real son.

He stood there, watching the unmasked Zorro whom he owned his life several times over, until the couple became aware of his presence.

"Father is something wrong?" Diego said, when he saw the tears on his fathers face, instantly changing his voice and returning to his role of Diego.

"Diego, please, stop pretending. I have seen you and I heard you talk to Victoria. I know now who you are." Alejandro pleaded.

"You are Zorro and I have never seen it. Son, forgive me how I treated you the last years. I'm proud of you, I want you to know that."

"No, Father, there is nothing to forgive. You only saw what I wanted you to see. You must forgive me for not telling you the truth. I wanted to protect you and Victoria. Knowing my secret would have put your life in danger and I couldn't risk that."

Father and son embraced and Alejandro felt happier than he had felt for years.

"But why now, Diego? Why did you change your mind? And what about the wedding I heard you talking about?" Alejandro asked.

"How long have you been standing there, Father? Let me explain it to you after dinner. And of course I'd be happy to have you at my wedding."

Diego led them into the house.

Z Z Z

For the first time in years Alejandro spent an evening with his unmasked son. Diego had to answer many question and he entertained Victoria and his father with some of Zorro's adventures when they sat down with Felipe in the library after dinner.

Alejandro hadn't known Diego could be so charming. Though it often must have been quite hard for him to keep up his masquerade, Diego made it sound as if he had had a lot of fun, roaming around as Zorro.

When Victoria and Alejandro started apologizing for their treatment of Diego, he distracted them with one of his funnier adventures.

"Have you ever heard of the Napoleon shriveling disease our esteemed alcalde is suffering from?"

Alejandro and Victoria both shook their heads while Felipe couldn't suppress a grin.

Diego explained how he convinced the alcalde that he was shriveling. In an elaborated tale he told them in great detail how Zorro had exchanged the alcalde's clothing and boots overnight and put little wooden blocks under the alcalde's desk to make him sit lower behind it.

And when meeting him as Diego he put heels under his shoes to make the alcalde appear shorter when he came for visit.

As Zorro he mentioned the disease, confirming it as Diego.

At the end he had them all roaring with laughter.

"Oh Diego," Victoria said wiping tears of laughter from her face, "I never knew you could be so wicked. Sometimes I could really feel sorry for the alcalde."

"Of course I told the alcalde that there is no permanent cure," Diego finished with a smile, "you'll never know when another outbreak may come in handy. Somewhere there must be a trunk with the alcalde's things." Felipe signed that he knew where they were.

"But what will you do about the alcalde while Zorro is gone?" Alejandro asked, becoming serious again.

"Father, I think I have taken care of that yesterday," Diego said, recounting his conversation with the alcalde the night before. "I hope that will keep him in check until he realizes that there will be no emissary. It will take him some time and until then we will be back."

"You mean you lied when you said that a new emissary was on his way?" Victoria said, incredulously.

"I was so angry yesterday and I wanted the alcalde to suffer, so I made it up." Diego explained.

"Father, I would like you to write a letter to the king. With chance the king will send an emissary on your request. Please, stick to the story when the alcalde asks you about it. Emissaries can always be delayed during their travels, but the alcalde needs to believe that he will come and that he has to fear his arrival."

"That is simply brilliant and you made it up in the spur of the moment," Alejandro wondered. "Of course, I will write and see if our relations to the king will get us a new emissary who cannot be worse than Risendo. How long will you be away for your honeymoon and where are you going?"

"We will be away for some months and for the destiny of our travel...," Diego grinned, mischievously, "Victoria has asked me about it as well. We are not going to Mexico City, but will be visiting some friends for their wedding. I will tell you on Thursday after the wedding. I'll keep it as a surprise wedding gift."

Diego continued grinning and all efforts from Victoria to make him reveal his travel plans were in vain. With all her charms she couldn't make him tell her something he didn't want to.

Alejandro felt exhausted from the events of the day. Now that the first excitement was gone, he was simply tired. He knew he should keep an eye on his son and Victoria, but knowing his son now, he knew it was useless. His son would do or not do whatever he liked and no father could do anything about it.

If the talk he overheard earlier was an indication, the couple would behave properly until the wedding.

Without further comment he wished them both a good night and went to bed. The revelations of the day were too exciting to let him sleep, but he had finally time to think about all he had learned tonight. All the little puzzles were suddenly fitting into the picture. His son sleeping late – because Zorro had been riding at night, his son staying in bed for a cold – because Zorro had been injured, his son doing this – because Zorro had done that. Recounting all the hints he had missed, relief swept over him. His son was truly a de la Vega, more than worthy of the name. With a smile on his face, he fell asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 -Wednesday

The next day Victoria was very busy. After having breakfast at the hacienda, Diego had ridden with her to the pueblo. He had some business to attend to and wouldn't have time for her until the afternoon. The tavern was full the whole day because of the weekly market, so it took Victoria most of the day to realized what was going on.

"Sergeant Mendoza," she said, "have you been granted some extra pay or why are you staying in the tavern the whole morning? At this time of the month most of your money is already spent, so where does your money come from?"

"Senorita Escalante, today is a lucky day for me. Don Diego was very gracious when I met him this morning. He said he was sorry that we won't have lunch together for some time and that is why he gave me some money to buy me a drink here. He said it would be very hot today and I should stay in the tavern and out of the heat. Don Diego is a very kind man, isn't he, Senorita? He understands that a man can't go without food or drink to keep himself in shape."

"So it is Don Diego, I have to thank for your presence in my tavern the whole day?" Victoria said. I wonder what this is about, she thought to herself. What is Diego up to now? Why does he invite the Sergeant?

She was still trying to figure it out when the vaquero in the back corner started to make trouble. He shouted loud for more drinks and tried to grab her by the arm.

Fortunately the sergeant stood up immediately and asked the man to calm down. When he didn't stop to make trouble, the sergeant called in some of his lancers to escort the man to jail.

"Thank you for your help, Mendoza," Victoria was relieved that everything had progressed quite smoothly. "If you hadn't been here to help me there would have been real trouble."

She went to the kitchen to refill her pitcher. She was really lucky the sergeant had been in the tavern. Then it hit her. That was it. For a moment she was angry with Diego for coming up with that scheme without telling her, but than she began to smile again. He was really a fox, always planning and scheming. Still smiling, she found Diego waiting for her at the bar.

"You seem to have a good time Victoria," he smiled as well. "I heard there was some trouble here, but our sergeant took good care of it."

The sergeant beamed. "Yes, Don Diego, the man is now in jail where he can sober up. It was really luck that I was in tavern today."

"Luck indeed," Diego said with a broad smile and lifted his drink. "To you, Sergeant."

"Diego," Victoria said in a stern voice, "Can I have a word with you in the kitchen?"

"I think you are in some trouble, Don Diego," the sergeant said.

"I'll soon find out," Diego answered, sounding worried before he followed Victoria to the kitchen.

"What is it, Victoria?" he asked when they were alone. "Missing me already so much?" He took her hand and placed a kiss on it.

"You are such a schemer, Diego. I don't like it when you are making plans behind my back."

Diego knew very well what she was talking about, but feigned ignorance.

"You know what I am talking about. It was your plan to have the sergeant sit in the tavern to keep an eye on me."

"I worked out well, didn't it? And it was for the benefit of all. The sergeant was having a nice time in the tavern, you were free of trouble and I could be sure you were safe."

"I'm grateful, Diego, but you should have told me. This is not the first time you did it, wasn't it? What other tricks have you been using on me that I haven't been aware of?"

"You are a clever woman, Victoria, now that you know what to look for, I think you'll find out on own." Zorro's roguish grin was unmistakable.

"Diego, you are...," she started, but was interrupted by his kiss. "How could I ever think you were boring."

He laughed his wholehearted laughter again that she couldn't resist but to join in. "I just came by to ask you when you are closing the tavern tonight. I will be ready to escort you home."

Victoria was melting away with his words. He didn't say he wanted to take her to the hacienda, but to take her home. He couldn't have expressed it more directly how he felt about her staying at the hacienda. Home. For him she already belonged there although they weren't married yet.

"Oh Diego," she whispered. "Now that you ask me, I think I will leave the closing of the tavern to my helpers. They can start managing the tavern while I'm still around. Pick me up at seven?"

"You're helpers will be disappointed, but I am quite happy about it. Until then."

With another kiss on her hand and longing look he left her in the kitchen, gazing after him.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 - Thursday

Today was the big day. Finally they were going to get married. Victoria was more nervous than ever. All the preparations she had to take care of. Not only for the wedding, but for the honeymoon as well. Since Diego hadn't told her yet where they would be going, she didn't know what to pack for. She only hoped his surprise was worth it.

Then there was the secrecy of the wedding. Alejandro would be giving her away in her brother's stead and Felipe would be the best man. All of them had to get into the church at the same time. She hoped that nobody felt the pressing need for a prayer or a confession during the time of the ceremony. Just imagining the alcalde or one of the lancers disturbing the wedding sent shivers down her spine. That would be a nightmare. How could she ever have agreed to such a dangerous thing as marrying Zorro in secret. It was crazy.

Of course she could not go to the church in her wedding gown. She would change in one of the mission's rooms before and after the wedding.

Alejandro and Felipe would go to the church under the pretense of delivering some gifts for the mission, while she would be waiting in the church. Diego promised to slip into church secretly. He told her that this would be the easiest task. He tried to calm her and assured her that everything would go as planned and she need not to worry. Victoria wondered what else he was planning that he didn't tell.

Despite her fears, everything ran smoothly. When she entered the church in her wedding gown, Diego was already waiting at the altar. He looked splendid in his elegant black suit with golden embroidery and a fitting black vest that she had never seen him wear before. He must have had in store for some time to have it ready for the occasion. Had he worn a plain black shirt instead of his white caballero one with the black cravat, he would have come very close to be all in black like he used to be as Zorro.

As a precaution, Alejandro and Felipe had barred the church doors behind them to keep chancy visitors out. Just when the ceremony was going to start, loud noises could be heard from the outside. Lancers were shouting and shots were heard.

The padre, Victoria and Alejandro looked up in alarm, but Diego only smiled. "That are only some of my time-delayed devices. They will make some noises as if there were some bandits outside the pueblo. It will give the sergeant and his lancers something to chase and we will be undisturbed here."

The wedding proceeded with all of them a little more relaxed, but Diego held his breath until she had said yes. He wouldn't believe his luck until they were truly married.

The kiss was a little shorter than Victoria had wished, but as soon as the noise outside had abated Diego led her to the church door and opened it.

It was dark outside, but not as dark as inside the church where Felipe had extinguished all lights. Hidden inside the dark church they looked through the open door where all the eyes of the soldiers and those of everybody else were directed to the southern sky outside the pueblo. The sky was illuminated by a flash of light followed by a sparkle of yellow stars.

"I couldn't get you the moon, but I thought some stars were in order," Diego whispered.

"Diego, you are the most romantic man I have ever met," Victoria cried, happily. She would never forget this moment when they kissed under the shower of sparkling lights.

"It is a real wonder," the padre murmured, touched by emotion.

Suddenly, there was a big bang and a ball of red fire. Diego looked surprised when it was followed by green and blue light balls.

"You must have paid more attention to your chemistry lessons than I gave you credit for, having done your own experiments," he said to Felipe who grinned broadly. "Thank you for he surprise."

"We should go now. I'll meet you at the hacienda," he said. Diego took Victoria in his arms and carried her to the mission where she could change again.

The next time Victoria saw him, he had already changed back into his normal blue suit and was talking to the sergeant, distracting him from the three de la Vegas who where quietly slipping out of the mission.

"Sergeant Mendoza, what is going on here? I was working at The Guardian when I heard the noise and saw the fire. Is the pueblo under attack?"

"Don Diego, I don't know. I had my men riding to the fire but when they arrived there was nothing. If Zorro were still around, I would have thought it was one of tricks. I was great show, worthy of Zorro."

"Well Sergeant, since Zorro is gone, it must have been someone else. Maybe it is this magician again who scared your lancers off with a great ball of fire before robbing whoever he pleased."

"Don Diego, I think you could be right. But this time my men will not be afraid of his light show. Nobody plays that trick on us twice."

"Lancers, get your horses. Whoever is out there, we will get him," Mendoza shouted.

At the hacienda Alejandro surprised Diego and Victoria with a exquisite dinner. For the wedding of his only son he had arranged the most opulent dinner the hacienda had seen in years, even if it was only a very private dinner for the four of them. A real party with friends and relatives would take place after their return after they had made their wedding public.

After dinner Diego lifted his surprise about their honeymoon.

"We are going to Europe? But I don't speak French." Victoria was stunned. She 'd never have guessed that.

"You'll pick it up quickly and you will get along well with my friends, especially Simone who is also a tavern owner." Diego assured her.

He entertained his family with his adventures in France and how he helped his friends as 'Le Renard'.

"So Zorro is roaming around in France as well," Alejandro grinned. "No wonder you never talked about your French vacation."

"I would have been obvious for you that I'm Zorro, if you found out that Zorro was in France the same time. I'm really looking forward to meet my friends there again and the wedding invitation is just the reason I have waited for. We will be gone for about four months. Enough time to make the people in Los Angeles believe that we fell in love while we traveled together to Mexico City."

"I'll spread the news of your marriage in Mexico in about two months, after I get one of your letters from Mexico," Alejandro said conspiratorially, all too happy to help his son along in this matter.

Alejandro had another surprise for his son. It was him and not Diego who was going to adopt Felipe. Felipe and Alejandro had talked it through and both were happy with the solution. If Felipe became Diego's eldest son, he would inherit the ranch and not be free to study law as he wished.

"You agree with this arrangement, Felipe?" Diego asked, surprised.

'You only want to be a member of the family and becoming my brother suits you best', Diego translated.

"I agree with whatever makes you happy, Felipe and you know the place you have in my heart," Diego said, embracing Felipe.

When they retired for the night, Diego led Victoria to another set of rooms at the hacienda that would be theirs after their return.

Everything turned out as Diego promised her. The soft bed was covered with petals of red roses and her husband carried her over the threshold. They kissed passionately and explored each others body with their hands while removing their clothes in the process to feel the burning skin underneath. They no longer had to hold back. In an explosion of passion they finally made love until they fell into an exhausted sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 – Friday

The next morning came too early for both of them. They would have liked to stay in bed the whole morning but they had to get ready for the coach that was leaving at noon. Victoria returned to the tavern to pack all the things she would need for a sea voyage.

With good wishes from her friends who hoped she would find comfort over Zorro's loss from her brother, she boarded the coach where Diego was already waiting. He feigned indifference toward his travel companion when they said goodbye to his father.

As planned they got off the coach in the next town, where Felipe was waiting for them with the cart. Felipe drove them to the port of Santa Paula where they were boarding their vessel to France.

The weather was supposed to be fine at this time of the year and steady winds would take them swiftly to the old continent. Diego was looking forward to kiss his wife under the moonlit sky and watch the stellar constellations that could only be seen under the eastern horizon.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 - Epilogue

After their the return from Mexico the couple was welcomed happily. The news of their wedding had been spread months before by Alejandro and so it was no longer a surprise, but the gossip still roamed. Many had suspected that Diego had been secretly in love with Victoria. Now he had gotten his chance while Victoria had jumped to the opportunity to marry into one of the wealthiest families of the territory.

A few days after their return Diego invited the sergeant to lunch at the tavern while Victoria wanted to check the management of the tavern.

"You look splendid as ever," Diego complimented his wife and kissed her hand.

"Don Diego, you sound like Zorro," Mendoza remarked.

"I hope so," Diego sounded pleased. "You know my wife has a soft spot for these kind of compliments, that's why I gave it try."

"So you are trying to imitate Zorro to please your wife?," the alcalde joined the conversation, "that is ridiculous, Don Diego. You're not Zorro, so stop acting like him. Is that the reason you are wearing a sword now?"

"Yes, of course, alcalde. I have been taking some fencing lessons while I stayed in Mexico."

Diego unsheathed his sword and slashed through the alcalde's vest and trousers.

"What are you doing Don Diego?" the alcalde exclaimed while he kept hold on his trousers with both hands.

"It always looked so easy when Zorro was doing his 'Z' in other people's clothing," Diego said remorsefully. "I just wanted to give it a try. Maybe I should try a 'V' instead of a 'Z'. That are only two slashes and not three. 'V' for Victoria. I'm sorry. I'll pay for it of course."

That was the moment when Victoria rushed to kitchen no longer able to keep her laughter at bay.

"Now I know why I never married," the alcalde said angrily. "Marriage makes men look like a fool. That woman is too much for you, Don Diego. Because she couldn't get Zorro, she wants to shape you into her image of Zorro. You should really try to stay yourself." Then he walked out of the tavern still holding his trousers, a grinning Mendoza behind him.

Diego suppressed his laugh until he joined his wife in the kitchen who was still laughing.

"Oh Diego, that was too funny. And how the alcalde looked when he held up his trousers."

"I just couldn't resist. It has been a long time since I had the chance to slice the alcalde's clothing. I was having some fun," he grinned Zorro-like.

"Diego, please promise me that you'll never start doing 'V's. Just imagine Zorro running around, slashing 'V's in other people's clothing, because a 'Z' is too difficult. I'll never stop laughing again."

Then Victoria broke into helpless laughter, until her belly was aching and tears were running down her face.

Z Z Z

In the end it didn't matter if Diego was really Zorro or only imitating him. Some believed him to be Zorro and some like the alcalde thought him a fool. Diego slowly stopped acting and was his whole self, but he never bothered to enlighten the people. He was too busy raising his growing family and taking over the responsibilities for the ranch from his father. There had been no need for Zorro since his return. The alcalde no longer mistreated the people to capture Zorro and was still waiting for the emissary from Spain that never came.

What came instead was the Mexican revolution. It brought the return of the alcalde to Spain and a full pardon for Zorro.

Don Alejandro became the new alcalde while Diego managed the ranch. Victoria handed the tavern over to her brother Ramon and his family because she was too busy with her children. Felipe left Los Angeles for Santa Paula to study law. He decided to stay there permanently when he fell in love and started to have a family of his own.

THE END


End file.
